Opinion: Abandoned vessels — derelict democracy?

The Laurier II floats off the east coast of Vancouver Island as a decaying symbol of federal government inaction in dealing with the growing national problem of derelict vessels.Paul Kyba / Vancouver Sun

What do you get when 338 people of five different political parties sit around a table to deal with a concrete problem, like abandoned and derelict vessels, hundreds of which litter Canada’s shores? You get imperfect, incomplete solutions and a clear picture of our flawed democracy.

On Oct. 26, the House of Commons unanimously passed Motion M-40, to deal with abandoned and derelict vessels, tabled by Liberal MP Bernadette Jordan. M-40 calls for more education, improved ownership identification and government help to remove abandoned vessels.

Transport Canada has identified over 240 abandoned or derelict vessels in Canadian waters, undoubtedly an under-reported number. Each is at least an eyesore and, at worst, a source of environmental contamination and a navigational hazard. The cost to remove an abandoned vessel ranges from small change to several hundred thousand dollars, depending on complexity. As many old boats near their life end, owners are tempted to dump unwanted vessels in public waters. As litterbugs on land found at the dawn of anti-litter laws, penalties for abandoning vessels are needed to discourage the practice.

But many government agencies are involved: Transport Canada, the Coast Guard, federal and provincial environmental agencies and local governments. Overlapping agencies dilute responsibility, cause inefficiency and foster inaction.

At least M-40 carries some political and moral weight in calling on the government to do something. The bad news is that motions have no binding legal effect. Furthermore, the wording of the motion is vague, without specific, measurable objectives. While M-40 calls upon the government to “take meaningful steps within six months,” the provision is not clear enough to be a serious deadline. There is no guarantee the government will do anything. To quote an Oct. 24 story by Peter O’Neil in The Vancouver Sun, the “B.C. coast needs policy, not platitudes, to deal with derelict vessels.”

In June 2015, I tabled C-695, The Prohibition of Abandoned Vessels, which would have imposed jail time and fines up to $100,000 for abandoning a vessel. The initiative was a Bill, not just a Motion, so it would have become enforceable law. I’d worked for four years on the Bill, got input from a wide range of stakeholders, consulted with Opposition MPs, and got then Transport Minister Lisa Raitt’s support. The Bill made sense, was not ideological and was popular. I’m confident it would have passed. But Parliament rose soon after I tabled the Bill and it died on the order paper.

In all my work in Parliament, including two successful Private Members Bills, I was amazed how hard it was to accomplish real progress, and how important it was to seize common ground along the way.

At its best, MPs seriously strive for common ground — they all voted for M-40. At its worst, our processes squander opportunities for progress. Instead of remedies to problems, we get measures to placate voters.

With so many lawmakers and stakeholders involved, any step forward, like M-40, is bound to be flawed and we ought to “see the glass half full.” But it’s frustrating that our processes require so much time and effort, even to pass a non-binding, unambitious motion. As Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”

Let’s hope for real action on abandoned vessels — and for shipshape democracy.

John Weston is a lawyer, author, speaker, and the former Member of Parliament for West Vancouver, Sunshine Coast and Sea to Sky Country. This article is adapted from his upcoming book, Seeking Excellence in Leadership.

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